


A Study In Steve Rogers' Stupidity

by TheGameIsOver



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Identity Porn, M/M, Minor Clint Barton/Sam Wilson, Minor Sharon Carter/Natasha Romanov, Mutual Pining, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Natasha Romanov is So Done, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Sam Wilson is So Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24865030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGameIsOver/pseuds/TheGameIsOver
Summary: Where Steve is a pining idiot on the hunt for his lost love, Natasha has no idea that Steve is in love, Sam is done with his pining, and Bucky feels only a little bad about making Steve chase him
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 77





	1. Chapter 1

Steve Rogers was an idiot. Anyone who spent more than five minutes with him would know this.

But he isn't 'stupid' stupid. No, he's referred to as the greatest strategist and tactician for a damn good reason. It's just that he gets a little... ridiculous when it comes to humans and emotions. Sure, some are that can be attributed to his seventy year long nap, but the point still stands.

Natasha was the first to discover this. As she was also the first to discover many things about darling Mr. Rogers. And it wasn't just the fact that this meatball jumped out of a jet without a parachute, or darted into danger headfirst for fun. No, it was when he was facing off against the Winter Soldier.

Just hours before, he had told Natasha that it was hard to find someone with 'shared life experience'. And then his best friend had rolled back into his life.

So when Steve took months out of his life to hunt him down, Natasha decided she needed to up some of her own personal tactics and figure out why Bucky was so special. Yes, he was Steve's best friend, but... why? Natasha knew that if her past came back with a vengeance, she'd want to leave it dead and gone.

So she went to the Smithsonian, despite having seen the Captain America exhibit plenty of times. 

"Captain America's best friend, on and off the field." Sharon muttered under her breath, eyeing Natasha from the other side of the room.

"Yes, I'm aware. But why is he so obsessed?" Natasha scowled as she stopped in front of the display with the Howling Commandoes uniforms, sans Captain America.

"Wants to reclaim the past? I don't know, Nat. Can we leave? I'm... I don't feel comfortable being here." Natasha knew that Sharon had an issue with coming here, seeing her aunt so lively in the interviews. Hurt to see the contrast between then and now.

"Alright. Come on, let's go get some ice cream." Natasha wrapped her arm around Sharon's waist as they left. They had been dancing around each other for a while, but at the Shield Christmas party, Sharon had made a move and kissed Natasha under some mistletoe.

In any case, Natasha mulled her thoughts over her vanilla ice cream, Sharon holding her hand over the table and enjoying her own chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

It wasn't until Sam came back that Natasha finally put it together.

"He's been digging himself into the ground trying to find his little assassin friend. It's almost like that one book, East of Eden?" Sam picked up his beer and took a drink, shaking his head. Natasha knew the book. It was one of Steinbeck's that she actually enjoyed. 

And then the pieces fell together.

"Oh my god they were in love." Natasha exhaled the words, eyes wide. Sharon and Sam both looked at her in confusion.

"Huh?" Sharon wrapped her arm around Natasha's shoulders, craning her neck to better see her girlfriends wide eyed expression.

"They were in love, that's why Steve's going nuts." Natasha turned to face Sharon, ramping up in excitement at the realization.

"Your reasoning?" Sam popped a pretzel into his mouth as he spoke, leaning back in the chair like he owned the place. Natasha nearly scowled but her excitement prevented her displeasure.

"Why else would he go around the world like a crazy person. He lost Bucky once, he doesn't want to lose him again." Natasha explained, dropping her hand to Sharon's knee and squeezing.

"I thought he loved Peggy." Sam mused, eating even more pretzels. Sharon and Natasha shared a look.

"He probably did, but not in the way he loves Bucky. Give me one good reason why else Steve would sign up for a German experiment to get all jacked if it wasn't to protect his one true love?" Natasha replied, still mostly watching Sharon.

"I think you're right. If I remember one of Peggy's stories correctly, Steve directly disobeyed the commanding officer to rescue Bucky. He probably didn't care too much for the others he saved, he was more focused on Bucky. Call it crazy, but it think that's love." Sharon added, smiling at Natasha. They stared at each other for a moment, lost in their own brand of love.

"You two are sweet, but my boyfriend is currently in Peru, so let's get back to Steve's love life." Sam interrupted their moment, holding a pretzel to his mouth before tossing it in. Natasha glared, making Sam shift uncomfortably.

"He's an idiot." Natasha stood and crossed the room, grabbing her 'long journey' duffle bag and coming back over to Sharon. 

"This is common knowledge." Sam muttered. 

"But why is that important right now?" Sharon asked. They both had similar looks of confusion on their faces. 

"If we were just hunting for a recovering amnesiac assassin, I wouldn't care unless he threatened civilian lives. But if it's to put a smile of Steve's face, then I'm going to help him out. He just needed to tell me that he and Bucky were lovers. I've been trying to set him up for months when I could've just set him up with Bucky." Natasha made a face at that last bit, realizing where she went wrong in her matchmaking. 

"Darling, Steve probably didn't know how we'd react." Sharon reached out and took Natasha's hand in hers. 

"Why? We're not homophobic." Sam smirked at himself, Natasha smiling as well.

"It'd be pretty hypocritical if we were." Natasha added. Sharon nodded slowly, but continued on.

"Think about it. He grew up in a time where being gay could get you killed. Then suddenly he wakes up in a century where it's more widely accepted, but he doesn't have his lover with him. It's probably pretty hard for him, drifting between his memories of Bucky and trying to find him." Sharon explained. She gripped Natasha's hand a little tighter. 

"Besides, history didn't portray them as lovers. They painted the pretty heterosexual narrative, god bless Peggy. Also, weren't Steve and Bucky roommates?" Sam wondered aloud.

"Oh my god they were roommates." Natasha and Sharon both instantly murmured in response. Sam gave them a look, waiting for them to refocus. 

"Anyway, you're right. Steve probably won't admit it until we actually find him. Which means I have to go hunt Steve down and fix his love problems." Natasha adjusted her grip on the duffle. Sharon stood and put her hands on Natasha's shoulders, making the redhead look up.

"You don't have to do it. Steve's a big boy, he can handle himself." Sharon ran her palms down Natasha's arms, trying to soothe the shorter.

"No, I'm gonna do it." Natasha nodded to herself before standing on her tiptoes and kissing Sharon. The redhead would never admit it, but she liked the fact that Sharon was taller than her.

"Well, I'll be here. Clean up is slow-going with trying to weed all of Hydra out. Fury and Hill would kill me if I ditched." Sharon wrinkled her nose, taking comfort in holding Natasha. 

"Don't worry about a thing. We'll head out tomorrow morning to track down Lover Boy." Sam promised, taking his leave to pack his own bag. Or, rather, get some sleep since he didn't even fully unpack it before coming to Natasha's.

The next morning, Sharon kissed Natasha goodbye before her girlfriend boarded the quinjet, Sam already inside as they prepared to find Steve. 

Sharon had her own mission, and it wasn't anything to do with Hydra. She decided this would be the perfect time to visit her aunt, hoping for a moment of lucidity to get a bit of information. 

Peggy smiled at the sight of her niece, sitting up in bed and raising her arms for a hug. 

"Darling! I've missed you so much, I almost thought you'd forgotten your dear aunt!" Peggy declared, turning her head for Sharon to kiss her on the cheek.

"I would never. How have you been?" Sharon was well aware how pissed Peggy must have been at her Shield being ransacked by the filthy octopus called Hydra.

"Saw the news about everything with Shield. Terrible what happened. Wish I could have done something to help. But how are you, my dear? I saw you were making quite the ruckus against that damned snake." Peggy huffed. Sharon smiled, but felt the weariness of dealing with Hydra down in her bones.

"I've been better. Nat's been helping a lot, keeping me anchored. She just left today to go find Steve." Sharon shifted in the chair, watching her aunt closely.

"Ah, yes. And how has Steve been?" Peggy sighed, quietly remembering the big dumb fool. What a man. 

"I... I haven't heard much from him. The most I know is what Sam tells me when he comes back stateside." Sharon answered. Peggy nodded in response.

"What do you want to know?" Sharon looked up in surprise. 

"Pardon?" Peggy gave her a look.

"Oh, please. I may be old but I still know people pretty damn well. You're thinking something and you want answers." Peggy waved a hand dismissively at Sharon's alarm.

"Well... you knew James Barnes, correct?" Sharon leaned forward in her chair.

"Indeed. He was a fine young man. Very sweet, very respectful." Peggy could remember quite a few moments where Barnes was the only man who could keep Steve on the right path.

"Were Steve and Barnes..."

"Lovers? Yes, I believe so. Neither told me anything, and none of the men knew. But call it women's intuition." Peggy shrugged one shoulder. 

"Huh... so they were more than friends." Sharon muttered quietly. Peggy snorted.

"Yes... I would almost call them soulmates. You know the story of the End of Captain America?" Peggy questioned. Sharon nodded.

"Everyone with a history class does. Steve fought the Red Skull on the Valkyrie, couldn't land anywhere safe and away from the populous, so he drove it into the Atlantic, promising you a dance at the very end." Sharon recited. She had that story memorized, down to the last words spoken by Cap himself.

"Mhm. Steve had the ability to land safely. This was only a few days after Barnes fell from the train. He was devastated, swearing vengeance on any and all member of Hydra. Steve didn't care about dancing with me, it was more of a courtesy thing. All he really cared about was Barnes." Peggy spoke gently as Sharon processed this new information.

"So... Steve intentionally flew into the water?" Sharon whispered. Peggy sighed and looked to her niece.

"Maybe not intentionally, but... it was a semi conscious decision of his. Steve did love me. But Barnes was his everything. His heart, his soul. Without Barnes, Steve had no direction." Peggy held out her hand, Sharon absently handing her the glass of water sitting nearby as she contemplated.

When she left Peggy with a kiss to her forehead, she almost immediately texted Natasha all the information she had learned. 

Natasha's response was simple: Stupid love-sick idiot


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so Steve's stupidity continues

Steve was an idiot. He knew this about himself. He did have some stupid, impulsive and reckless moments, but he was rather smart. He could figure out the best course of action within minutes, plan accordingly, and keep his team safe while doing it.

However, when it came to other people and how to interact with them? Absolutely clueless.

So when Sam came knocking at his hotel room, the first thing out of Steve's mouth was, "Why."

Steve knew it was rude. His mother would be cuffing him alongside his head if she heard his lack of manners. As it was, there wasn't anybody to keep him in line, so Steve was a little gruff.

Sam's grin soured into a frown, eyebrows furrowing. 

"Rude. One of your best bros comes to help find your other bro, and you have the audacity to sound like that? Crotchety old man." Sam grumbled, shoving his way past Steve and tossing his bag to the side. It had been about a week since they had last seen each other, in Berlin. Steve hadn't wanted to leave, sensing there was something more to the city. 

"Sorry. But you may as well not have come. Trail's cold, I don't think he's here." Here being a small town in France, one that Steve couldn't remember the name of. 

Sam started speaking, but Steve sunk into the soft dejectedly. He brushed his fingers along the map, wishing that it would light up with directions to Bucky.

When Steve had started this endeavor, he was still healing up from the helicarrier incident. He had had no idea where to even start, Bucky having left him on the edge of the Potomac and vanishing without a trace. 

That didn't last long, as a week after Steve was cleared to leave the hospital, a bouquet of flowers was delivered to his destroyed apartment in DC. Steve didn't know what the flowers were, nor their symbolic meaning, but he knew the bigger meaning.

After Sarah had died and Bucky offered his place to Steve, the older would sometimes bring flowers home, with what little money was left. Steve had trouble with them, given his allergies, but he appreciated the gesture. More than that, it was the fact that Bucky - James Barnes himself - cared for Steve, loved him, and wanted to show it in the way he knew he could. Bucky's love languages was physical acts, generally little gifts and trinkets. 

Steve had taken one look at the flowers and knew that Bucky was out there, calling to him. And he had been right, the card tucked into the flowers a code.

Bucky had also known that, even before taking on the Captain title, Steve loved deciphering things. Doing puzzles was one of the ways Steve felt good while laid up in bed, and that hadn't changed in the decades that had passed. 

Anyway, the card was simple, plain white with black text. Steve had figured it out within an hour, discovering that it was the area code to a town in Prague. And so he was off, packing a hasty bag and boarding the next quinjet he could manage.

Obviously, Natasha and Sam had been wary. They wondered why, if Bucky wanted to be found, this is the message he would send. Steve could have told them, could have revealed all their secrets...

But he couldn't bring himself to do it, couldn't make his mouth speak the words that were lost in history. It was something so deeply personal, what he and Bucky had. Nobody in this century, barring Peggy, knew who Steve and Bucky were to each other. 

It was probably his own selfish desires, wanting to keep this a secret for as long as possible. Or maybe it was his urge to protect Bucky, even now. 

So. Prague first. Except when Steve got there, he couldn't find a single clue Bucky might have left. He scoured the place endlessly, barely sleeping. Eventually he wandered into a florist's shop, considering it a last ditch effort. The man running the shop had silently handed him a card attached to a box of chocolates, a knowing glint in his eyes. 

Steve had solved the code on the card, finding an address in Finland. And if he sobbed into his box of chocolates while Sam was asleep in the bed next to him, that was his own business.

On and on it went, Steve traveling around Europe desperately. He always thought he was within reach if Bucky, that his lover was right at his fingertips. He always ended up being wrong. 

And to say Steve was frustrated would be an understatement. It went deeper than frustration, hence his snapping at Sam. 

That being said, it took Steve a good few minutes to realize that Sam had finished talking, and was waiting for Steve to be An Actual Human and contribute to the conversation. 

"Sorry, man. It's been a long day. I combed the city ten times over, there's nothing here." Steve rubbed his eyes, yawning as weariness settled deep in his bones. 

"Okay, so come home. I think Sharon pulled some strings, your apartment is all fixed up, and-"

"I can't." Steve interrupted, folding the map and trying not to destroy it. He had been trying to see if there was a pattern to Bucky's clues, but no such luck. 

"Why not?" Sam sat on the coffee table in front of Steve, looking at him with such sympathy and pity that Steve felt irrationally angry. 

"If Bucky is out there, I'm not going to go back to living a happy, placid life in DC. It's not home, to me. Bucky is-" Steve stopped himself, realizing he was in the midst of spilling his guts. 

"It's either you run yourself further into the ground, or you come home to the closest thing you can call a home." Sam's voice was gentle, but Steve thought he caught the tension bleeding into his tone. 

Besides that, DC wasn't even the closest thing to home. It was a nice place, but had too many bad memories. All that was left for him in DC was Peggy. And she would probably scold him for making himself unhappy for the sake of other people. Just like Bucky. 

Wow, Steve had a type.

No, home wasn't in DC. Steve had a nice little apartment in Brooklyn, right in Prospect Park. It was the only place that felt like he could reclaim a bit of his old life. 

"He's got a point." Natasha's voice spoke from somewhere around the window, Steve just sighing at her presence. He hadn't jumped at her spy-antics for many months, too used to it. 

"When did you two become my parents?" Steve muttered, letting a little snark into his voice. He knew it was rude, but he was tired of being nice. He just wanted his Bucky back.

"Since you have no sense of self-preservation, and you've been searching for him for months! He's not showing, Steve!" Sam snapped, standing back up and planting his hands on his hips. Steve resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

He's never really been the 'nice guy', too busy being a snarky little shit that got his ass kicked. Bucky was the nice one, always apologizing for his friends 'bad attitude'. 

"I'm going to find him." Steve insisted, twirling the last clue in his fingers. It was the address of the hotel written in Morse. Easy. Bucky was either slacking, or he was eager to be found. He usually didn't make things this simple.

"Steve. We're worried about you. And we can't help you if you keep turning your back on us. Or keep hiding things." Natasha stood in front of Steve, her arms firmly crossed. Steve sighed and set the card down on his lap. He didn't want to accidentally crumple it. 

God, he was getting emotionally attached to a piece of paper. He probably needed a nap.

"I'm worried about Bucky. I appreciate your concern, but right now, all my focus is on him. I care about him, and I want him to know that. But he keeps running from me, and I... I can't figure out why." Steve rubbed his temples and stared down at the floor.

"Maybe he's deliberately leading you away from him." Natasha sniffed, looking impassive. It irked Steve. And he hated using that word. 

Steve stood from the sofa, finding the room too small and stuffy. He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the room, muttering some excuse about fresh air. 

He made it to the end of the hallway and pressed the button for the elevator, running his thumb over Bucky's clue. It had to mean something. The hotel was nice, a little much for Steve's tastes. Maybe he'd ask the receptionist if anybody named James had checked in.

Or maybe he should give up. Go back to DC, help Sharon repair what's left of Shield. Let Bucky go.

The very thought of doing that stabbed Steve in the heart, hurting much more than when Bucky had stabbed him in the shoulder. 

The elevator finally came, Steve stepping in and hitting the button for the first floor. Another man stood in the back corner, his head down. He wore a vintage Dodgers baseball cap, his hair tied back in a bun. Gloves covered both his hands, braced on the railing. It was pretty cold in France, but Steve didn't think it was cold enough for gloves. 

The other man seemed to be built much like Steve, if not a little slimmer. Steve couldn't see much of his face, but he really didn't have the energy to bother. Last time was in an elevator with other people, he ended up fighting them. He hoped he didn't have to fight this man, not if he was an old Dodgers fan.

"Brooklyn is really where the Dodgers belong, yeah?" Steve was an idiot. He didn't know how normal conversation worked. This man was probably French, why would Steve ask him that question in English? Why ask the question in the first place?

"Ain't that the truth." The man replied. Steve let out a mental sigh of relief. Good. Crisis averted. 

And yet, a new crisis emerged. The man had a beautiful voice, rich and intoxicating. A little gruff, like he wasn't used to speaking yet. 

Steve glanced at the numbers above the elevator door, wondering if it was traveling slower on purpose or if it was his own exhaustion speaking.

Probably the former.

"You here for business?" The man asked. Steve still hadn't seen his face, which, considering his glorious voice, was a crime. 

"Kinda. I'm lookin' for somethin' I lost." Steve could feel his Brooklyn coming out, but considering the other passenger, he didn't mind. Steve was doing a lot of considering where this guy was concerned.

The elevator was definitely breaking the rules of time and moving slower. Totally not his exhaustion.

"Hope you find it." Steve smiled down at his feet.

"I hope so, too." The doors finally parted, and Steve stepped out. He turned to see if the man had followed, only to find he was already gone. Steve looked around the hotel lobby, but found no sign of the man.

Huh.

Maybe it was actually his exhaustion.

In any case, Steve walked out of the hotel and headed to a nearby cafe. Coffee didn't do anything for him, and he had never been fond of the taste, but the place had great tea. He ordered a chocolate muffin and green tea, reaching into his pocket and faltering when something else fell out as well.

He handed off the money and bent down, picking up... a baseball card? 

Steve lost his breath. He couldn't hear anything except the ringing in his ears. 

A 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers baseball card, with Vito Tamulis displayed on it. One of Steve's favorite pitchers.

He was the biggest idiot in the universe.

Bucky had been in that elevator with him, right there, arms reach... why didn't Steve grab him, grab hold and never let go?

"-eve? Steve? Excuse me, sir?" Everything suddenly sharpened into hyper focus, Steve blindly grabbing the items he ordered and stumbling away from the counter. 

He walked out of the shop, shoving the muffin into his mouth. He leaned back against the wall and held the card with trembling fingers. It was the greatest goddamn clue Bucky has ever given him.

Steve chugged his tea and booked it back to the hotel, clutching the card like a goblin with something shiny. He stumbled into the hotel room and started throwing everything into his bag, ignoring the startled shouts from Sam and Natasha (and the gun she had pulled).

He ran back out of the room, going towards the stairs and making it down all seven flights in record time. He was nearly out of the hotel, having thrown the key towards the desk, when he was stopped by Sam and Natasha. He wasn't sure how they had ended up there, but suddenly they were blocking his exit, blocking the way to Bucky, Bucky, Bucky.

"What, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, the hell?" Natasha demanded, five feet something of pure, quiet rage. 

"Bucky. Brooklyn. Home. Now." Steve bounced on his toes like he was in the ring, taking on a new challenger. Heck, maybe he was if Sam and Natasha decided to keep him from Bucky any longer. 

"Okay, sure. But how about a full sentence this time?" Sam cooed, taking on his counselor voice. Steve didn't answer, instead running past them and to the nearest airport. Which just happened to be ten miles away.

Steve wasn't stupid, he was just impulsive and reckless when Bucky was involved in the situation.

But now he was finally going home.

He was finally coming back to Bucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments much appreciated!


	3. Chapter Three

Steve was an idiot. A lovable one, but still an idiot. Bucky has known this for years, and it was partially what broke him of years of brainwashing and conditioning. 

So when Steve followed each and every clue like he was on a leash and Bucky was holding the other end, Bucky figured there was reason to believe his best guy was still an idiot.

Because who would follow a bunch of anonymous clues, believing it would lead to an amnesiac ex-assassin that he was once (and still) deeply in love with? 

That being said, Bucky had wanted to come out of hiding sooner. He just... needed to verify that Steve following him wasn't some twisted sense of righteous justice, but was in fact the love they had once shared. Bucky wanted the validation that he was worth it, that Steve truly did care about him.

When Steve stood in that elevator with him, just a few feet away, Bucky almost broke down and revealed his identity. As it was, hearing Steve's sweet yet dumb question about the Dodgers had his eyes misting up. Not that he'd admit it.

Bucky, truthfully, had nearly broken down into tears after sending the Prague flowers. He could remember back in the day, he'd come home from the docks and hand Steve some flowers, just to see the way his pretty face lit up like the fireworks on his birthday.

So slipping that card into Steve's pocket... it was a cheap shot. He was well aware. But besides that, it was the surest way to get Stevie back to Brooklyn, back home... whatever home may be for them.

Sure, Steve had his life in DC, but he made it pretty clear to Widow and Falcon that he didn't see it as home. Bucky is home. Bucky is in Brooklyn. Go to Brooklyn, get Bucky, finally have home. Simple math.

Bucky sat on a rooftop, legs dangling over the edge. He watched as, from below, Steve ran into the opposite building, his apartment in Prospect Park. 

During a little vacation in Ireland that led Steve well away from his place, Bucky had done a little snooping. Don't worry, he felt plenty guilty afterwards for basically stalking a national icon.

But as it turns out, the building was going to be demolished to make room for a clothing store. Instead, Steve bought it (decades of army back-pay and whatnot) and renovated every apartment himself. He hired someone else to manage the building and rented one of the apartments for himself.

Also while Steve was hanging out in Ireland pining away, Bucky had rented the apartment above Steve's. Because he's a serious ex-assassin/spy/pining dumbass.

(Steve definitely isn't the only stupid one, and Bucky readily acknowledges his own stupidity.)

Back on the rooftop, Bucky watched with a small smile as Steve skittered around his apartment like a puppy just discovering hardwood floors. It warmed Bucky's heart, which he would never admit out loud, because he the physical personification of darkness, dammit.

Steve finally ran into his bedroom and threw his duffle to the floor, pulling out a small box and dumping the contents out. Bucky smiled harder as he realized it was all of his clues.

He felt the smile drop as Widow and Falcon came up the steps to the building, gesturing at each other as they argued. They made their way up to Steve's apartment and knocked furiously. 

Steve, having definitely heard the knocking (goodbye deafness and tinnitus), seemed too lost in thought as he stared down at all of Bucky's clues. Steve had spread out each of them in order from first to last, the baseball card clutched in his hand. Bucky almost teared up. Steve was such a devoted little dumbass.

He finally pulled away from the notes to open the door, a mask of calm on his (immensely attractive and bearded) face. He greeted Widow and Falcon, welcoming the in. He kept glancing over his shoulder towards his bedroom. Bucky knew he was eager to get back and play "Where in Brooklyn could Bucky Be?"

Bucky definitely wanted to come back into Steve's arms, cuddle him, kiss him, find out what other stupid shit he could have possible done. But the game was getting interesting. Why not wait a little more?

\----------

Sam knew Steve - his new best friend - was an idiot. It was obvious as soon as they met, his dumb self yelling "On your left!" Stupid.

But what really cemented this fact was that Steve didn't seem to notice the people around him, his focus solely narrowed on Bucky. He was stupid in love, which by all means should be cute. But, considering Clint was still on his mission in Peru, was gross and sappy to Sam.

"Look, Steve, the dude could just be some weirdo who's as nostalgic for the past as you are. It doesn't have to mean anything." Sam sighed, rubbing his temples. Steve grumbled something under his breath, and for once, Sam wished he had super soldier hearing.

"You struck up a conversation about the Dodgers, right? Natasha clarified, staring out the window with an unreadable expression on her face. 

"Yeah." Steve grunted, leaning further into his wall. Dude was so exhausted, the bags under his eyes looked awful. 

"So maybe he just wanted to give an old man a nice present. Not all French people are snobs, you know." Natasha smirked, the look eery on her otherwise closed-off face.

"Guys, really. I appreciate this, but-"

"But nothing. You've been on this wild goose chase for six months, no word from you to your avenging buddies, and you're starting to look...." Sam fell short, unable to properly describe the look Steve donned.

"Like a lumberjack," Natasha filled in, finally walking away from the window to perch on the arm of the couch. 

"I'm getting close. I know it. Bucky wants me to find him. I know him. This... this whole scavenger hunt is something he would have done when we were young." Steve sounded like he was trying to be convincing, but it really wasn't working. 

"Why would Buckt lead you around Europe just to end up back in Brooklyn?" Sam scowled. He didn't know the guy personally -- hell, he was still made about his car -- but it just didn't sound right.

Steve didn't answer, a look in his eyes. Sam didn't trust that look. That look usually led to Steve jumping off of tall buildings without a parachute.

"Sharon's waiting for us at the Tower." Natasha spoke up, looking down at her phone. Sam stood, Natasha right behind him. 

Steve watched them leave, and Sam turned before he shut the door. 

"Just.... try to get out and socialize? For us?" Sam pleaded. Steve nodded once, a distant vacancy taking over the look he had on before. 

\----------

Steve couldn't sleep.

He was a few minutes away from going all out and making a wall of evidence, even contemplating whether or not to buy yarn to string evidence together.

Why would he buy yarn? He could just ask Ms. Richard's from upstairs for some extra. She would give it to him, too. Would probably also try to get him to join her knitting circle.

Steve snorted to himself, slipping on a pair of shoes and walking into the hallway. He headed for the stairs and started the trip up, trying to come up with an excuse as to why he couldn't join her club. He was so lost in thought, he didn't notice the other man until it was too late. 

Luckily, he broke out of his stupor quick enough to grab the guy before they both fell down the stairs.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." Steve apologized, holding steady hands at the man's shoulders.

"No problem. I wasn't really paying attention, either." The man was wearing sunglasses, which was weird since it was night time. He had a sweet smile, though. One that Steve really wanted to draw, the way his lips curved up a little at the corners, and-

'Uh... um.... ngf...." Steve turned and bounded up the rest of the way, leaving the man to stand in the empty stairwell. He came up to Ms. Richard's apartment and knocked a short staccato rhythm. She welcomed him in, insisting on making tea.

Fifteen excruciatingly long minutes later, Steve had a wicker basket full of yarn and a flyer for her knitting circle. The man on the stairwell had destroyed Steve's higher brain functions, making him forget his excuse. Stupid cute lips.

Just his luck, Mr. CuteLips was standing nearby. 

"Taking up a new hobby?" The man called out, his hand on the door to his apartment. Steve stumbled over his feet, making incoherent noises before he righted himself. He stared down stupidly at his yarn before remembering that humans regularly partake in conversation.

"Oh, uh... kind of... actually, I uh...." Steve then realized that he really couldn't come up with a feasible reason for having this yarn. 

"Mind if I look at that flyer? I've been trying to get out more, need more hobbies to keep me occupied." The man released his door and came over, making Steve's last brain cell promptly exit. Steve shoved the paper towards the man, making the other chuckle. That chuckle was goddamn beautiful and Steve wanted to hear it for the rest of time.

"Thanks. It's so hard to find something for a person my age." The man took a picture of the flyer, smiling up at Steve. There was only a small difference in height, just enough that he had to crane his neck up to actually look at Steve. And Steve just really wanted to see the eyes that belonged to the man with a voice like heaven.

"I'm Steve." Steve finally found his tongue and wanted to slap himself. Of all the responses to give, that's the one he chooses?

"Hi, Steve. I'm Jimmy." Steve was ready to toss the yarn aside, having to juggle it and make a fool of himself as he tried to shake Jimmy's hand.

"Nice to meet you. So, uh... knitting.... isn't that usually a hobby for the older generations?" Steve was trying, he really was. But considering he hadn't met anyone worth glancing at since he rediscovered Bucky, he was just a little bit rusty. And something about this guy, somehow just... made him think of Bucky.

"Looks can be deceiving." Jimmy smirked, and Steve was really tempted to just reach out and remove the sunglasses himself 

"They certainly can be." Steve was a bonafide idiot. Why can't he just communicate like a normal person?

"I'll see you around." Jimmy unlocked his door and took a step into his apartment, smiling over his shoulder at Steve. The blond choked over his words, stunned into silence by that smile. He finally regained control over his body and went back into his own apartment.

And thus commenced his True Crime/Find Bucky evidence wall.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve gets over his stupidity, Bucky still loves his sweet himbo

Steve was stupider than Bucky remembered. 

And to be fair, Bucky didn't remember much. He remembered Steve picking fights with anyone and everyone (including a cantankerous cat that looked at him funny). He remembered Sarah Rogers. He remembered Steve in his entirety. But he didn't remember just how stupid he could be.

It wasn't all Steve's fault. Bucky did give him a semi-fake name (he hated the name Jimmy), and didn't take off his sunglasses.

Bucky never realized just how effective sunglasses could be for a disguise, but he assumed Steve was struck dumb by... something else?

Also, why the hell did Steve have a whole wicker basket full of yarn? He hated knitting, said it took too much time and patience.

Not only was Steve an idiot, he was also an impatient doofus.

In any case, Bucky would just have to up the ante. 

The morning after their run-in, Bucky wandered out of his apartment, sliding on his sunglasses. He wasn't wearing much in the cool weather, just a hoodie and jeans. Apparently it was enough to make Steve forget the English language.

"Hey, Steve? Earth to Steve? Calling Major Steve?" Bucky snapped his fingers in front of Steve's face, briefly wondering if the blond could hear the metal clicking through his gloves.

"Captain Rogers, thank you very much." Steve scowled and pushed Bucky's hand out of his face.

"My sincerest apologies, Captain. You okay?" Bucky tilted his head, trying to figure out why Steve was so flushed. 

"Fine, just... coming back from a run. What are you up to?" Steve rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. One mystery solved. Although, with all that super juice in Steve, Bucky wasn't sure if it was possible for him to get that red faced and sweaty from something as simple as a run. Maybe Steve ran around each borough. He always did like waking up early.

Wait, did Steve ask something? 

"Oh, uh... I was just gonna go for a grocery run. Haven't been home in a while, and stale cereal is only so filling." Bucky joked. Steve bit his lower lip and shifted in place. Bucky knew that look. That was the 'man with a plan' look.

"Mind if I join you? I've been out of town, too, and... bare shelves are getting to me. Not that I can cook all that well, but... still... nice to... have... stuff..." Steve finished, closing his eyes for a few seconds as he dropped his head. Bucky found himself smiling. Steve was so cute when he was nervous.

"No problem. It'll be nice to have a companion. Being alone so long gets kinda overbearing." Bucky shrugged and watched as Steve opened his door.

"Uh... you wanna come in? I'll change clothes and then we can head out?" Steve's blush just kept getting stronger. Bucky nodded eagerly.

"Sure, I don't mind waiting." Bucky could wait for a long time. He had been a sniper for a reason, one of them being his unending patience. 

"Sorry, it's a little... little bare." Steve mumbled, leading the way into his apartment.

"It's cozy. Feels like home." And it wasn't the physical apartment making Bucky say that. No, it was the fact that Steve was right here, and Steve was home.

"Thanks. I'm not here that often, but it always feels better to be in Brooklyn." Steve smiled back at Bucky, the latter's heart doing something funky in his chest.

"Ya born and raised here?" Bucky wandered over to a nearby bookshelf, catching sight of a sketch of... of him. 

"Yeah. Lived with my mom until she passed. Then my best friend offered to put me up." Steve's voice called out from the bedroom. The sound of a drawer opening and closing softly reached Bucky's ears.

"I think you mean 'put up with me'." Bucky called back.

"Hey, I was a good roommate!" Bucky could practically hear the scowl in his voice. 

"Sure ya were, punk!" Bucky knew that was the nail in the coffin, Steve wasn't stupid enough to not realize who he was. Or maybe he was just that stupid. It was hard to tell.

\----------

Bucky was in his living room. It had to be. Nobody called him punk, and certainly not in that fond tone of voice that Buck always had.

"At least I pulled my weight around the place!" Steve turned on the faucet in the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face to cool down. He pulled a towel out, patting his face dry as he tried to will himself to calm down.

"Were you workin' to put food on the table?" Bucky ('Jimmy', how stupid does Bucky think he is?) sassed back. 

"Nah, but I was busy cleanin' up after my slob roommate!" Steve stepped out of the bathroom and nearly had an asthma attack at the sight of Bucky standing in his apartment. Then he remembered that he no longer had to deal with asthma, and Bucky was still playing at being Jimmy.

"He can't 'ave been that bad." Bucky teased. Steve forgot how to speak. 

He was so stupid. How didn't he realize that that was Bucky's smile? That little curve to his lips, the chapped skin in the cold weather.

"No. He wasn't." Steve sighed, smile falling into place. They stood there for a few minutes, just staring at each other. Bucky moved, pointing over his shoulder.

"Should we head out?" Bucky offered. Steve nodded agreement and he followed close behind. 

They walked side by side down the street, bumping shoulders as they moved. Since Bucky was standing on his right, Steve could feel just how solid his shoulder was.

The two started on a discussion of their favorite foods (something Steve was eager to know as Bucky was also adjusting to a new era and new freedoms). 

Although, it wasn't until they walked into a little hole-in-the-wall bodega that Steve realized that Bucky was listing a bunch of foods from all the countries he had led Steve to. 

Steve resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead reaching out and grabbing Bucky's metal wrist. He pulled the other into a canned foods aisle and stood there, facing off with each other.

"You think you're subtle?" Steve scowled, still holding onto Bucky. The other man smirked in response, sunglasses still firmly in place.

"Well, I don't know. In all my years of knowing you, you understand subtlety even less than you understand women. And that's saying something." Bucky didn't try to break free, instead watching as Steve pulled off his glove.

"When were you going to tell me?" Steve whispered, letting the glove fall to the floor as he took Bucky's hands, metal and flesh.

"Honestly? I wanted to tell you as soon as I sent the Prague flowers. But... I guess insecurities caught up to me, made me second-guess everything I thought I had pieced together. I wasn't sure if... if what I remembered was real, or it was just... an attachment thing. All of my memories were scattered. I have shelves upon shelves filled with notebooks of memories. Most of them involve you." Bucky took his right hand back from Steve, reaching to pull his sunglasses off. Steve stopped him, using his own hand to pull the glasses off and let them fall to the floor. Steve cupped Bucky's cheek and felt his heart speed up.

Bucky kept his eyes closed for a few seconds before he opened them. A grey sky stared back at Steve, amusement and uncertainty making them shine. 

Steve felt his world collapse and rebuild as everything in his life became Bucky. He felt no concern for anything around him as he leaned forward and kissed Bucky.

It was a chaste kiss, and as Steve pulled away he watched though hooded eyes as Bucky followed his lips. They both sighed, with longing, with yearning, with so many unspoken feelings it felt suffocating.

"I missed you." Steve did his best to convey everything he felt into those three words. He pulled Bucky closer, resting their foreheads together. Bucky looped his arms around Steve's shoulders, leaving barely a hairs breadth between them.

"I'm sorry I made you chase me." Bucky murmured. Steve laughed breathlessly.

"I would chase you all over again as long as I knew you would be there. You have no idea how close I was to giving up before that elevator ride." Bucky laughed with him, the sound a little choked with emotions. 

"I nearly gave myself away when you got the first flowers. I had to make sure that... it was real." Bucky opened his eyes to find Steve already staring at him.

"I'm real. This is real. I love you. Our love is the realest thing you'll ever experience, I swear." Steve took Bucky's hands and kissed each knuckle. 

"I love you, too." Bucky leaned in, and they shared another kiss. This one longer, trying to make up for the decades of lost time. 

They stood like that for a few minutes before remembering that they were in a store, and should probably have a small sense of decency. 

As they shopped, Bucky took Steve's hand. He stopped at some point in front of the produce.

"You still can't cook, huh?" Bucky mused. Steve made a face. 

"Yeah, not really. Guess you'll just have to move in with me so you can teach me." Steve teased, the tips of his ears turning bright pink.

"As long as you don't try to wake me at the crack of dawn to go running with you, that's fine by me." Bucky smirked in response, picking up a bundle of green onions and tossing them into the basket. 

"Aw, but who else am I gonna run with?" Steve pouted. Bucky rolled his eyes.

"Darling, you used to be completely unable to run. I think you'll be fine running on your own. Besides, you can do your run, and I'll wake up to make breakfast. You'll have a nice little incentive to come back to me." Bucky smiled and they continued along. He reached out and put a few plums into the basket.

"I'll always come back to you." Steve promised. He pulled Bucky's hand up and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Bucky felt a flush on his cheeks. 

"You know... when I was recovering, I stayed in a few different abandoned warehouses. There was no security to check and make sure people weren't living there, so I just stayed there and tried to keep the nightmares away. It usually helped if I thought of home." Bucky didn't look at Steve as he spoke, instead focusing on their intertwined hands. 

"Brooklyn helped you out?" Steve asked, studying a box of granola bars.

"A little. But you're my definition of home." Bucky finally looked up, surprised to see Steve staring back at him with a burning intensity in his eyes. The blond put the box of granola bars back on the shelf before turning to face Bucky.

"I'm assuming you knew I lived in DC? Well, Sam and Natasha, they kept urging me to go there. To 'go home' and stop looking for you. But I couldn't. My home was out there and I was busy tryin' to find him." Steve pulled Bucky in close and kissed his temple.

"I really love you, dumbass." Bucky sighed, smiling up at Steve. The other merely rolled his eyes.

"I'm not that stupid." Steve scowled. Bucky raised an eyebrow.

"I was right next to you in an elevator and you didn't notice. I told you my name was Jimmy. I even hinted at my age. How much more obvious could I be?" Bucky nudged Steve with his elbow as they headed towards the checkout. The teenager working the register barely spared them a look as he rung up the items. 

"To be fair, I wasn't expecting you to be in plain sight. That's just messing with my head." Steve pouted. Bucky chuckled and shook his head. They left the shop, swinging their hands in between them and teasing each other about everything and nothing.

When they got back to the apartment, Natasha, Sam, Sharon, and Clint all sat waiting for him.

"Hi, guys!" Steve bounced away, putting away the groceries and leaving Bucky to deal with his friends.

"So... how's it goin'?" Bucky waved with his metal hand. Natasha stood up and crossed over to him.

"Were you hiding in plain sight?" Bucky glanced around the room as Natasha crossed her arms, pinning him in place with her glare.

"Yeah, kinda." Natasha huffed and turned around, heading towards the kitchen.

"Steve, you idiot! Why didn't you tell me you were in love with him?" The sound of a smack could be heard, along with a small 'ow'. Bucky knew that if Natasha wanted to hurt Steve, she could.

"You were really in plain sight?" Clint leaned forward, eyes narrowed. The glare was offset by the five purple bandaids covering his face.

"A little bit. Sometimes I wasn't even in the same country he was in." Bucky shrugged his shoulder and tried not to cringe as Sam glared at him.

"You mean to tell me that I followed that idiot, and there were times you weren't there?" Sam stood up and stormed into the kitchen without waiting for an answer.

The other three listened as their significant others bickered in the kitchen.

"So... how is your cooking?" Sharon politely asked. Bucky snorted and shook his head. She reminded him of her aunt, whom he visited a few times. Peggy had missed him, told him to steer Steve straight. 

"Let me tell you, Steve can't cook to save his life, so I had to be the one to feed the little punk, and-" Bucky felt good. He was expecting animosity from Steve's friends, but instead found comfort and love.

His darling idiot took a few tries, but in the end, they found each other. As they always would. 

In conclusion, Steve Rogers was an idiot. But with Bucky Barnes by his side? He was the smartest man in the world, because he chose the best guy to fall in love with. Steve may be an idiot, but when he was with Bucky, he understood every part of the universe. Because Bucky was his universe, his heart, his soul...

And he would never let him go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of my first fic in this fandom! Thanks to everyone that enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos appreciated!


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